You Found Her Then, You'll Find Her Again
by emisummers
Summary: That's how long the whole exchange was, merely a few seconds. But you felt different somehow. After that one glance, it was like you got a taste of something you've never known you wanted. And now you just want all of it.


**AN: Second and probably last installment for brittana week. Also set in the AIA verse. ****Can be read separately.** The fact that it's now canon that Santana went to dance lessons is actually pretty perfect haha.

**Mini!brittana. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

You Found Her Then, You'll Find Her Again

The first time you saw her was when you were six years old. You'd been waiting around the dance studio for your lessons to start when the door flung open next to you and the previous class made their way past. It was an advanced class. Too advanced for yourself. You had only just started ballet but you've grown to love dancing. It made you feel alive.

Your parents were the ones to make you take lessons. Of course, you were reluctant at first since you knew they'd want to send you to the family's dance studio. Soon after your first lesson though you began to feel free. Dancing became your special place. Away from everything. Even if your abuela was there watching your every move. Nothing else mattered when you were gliding across the room.

Just as you walked into the room, something caught your eye. Blonde hair so bright and blue eyes so deep that you could probably find yourself staring for hours. You didn't understand why that was. You just knew that you were drawn to it. You looked about the same age as her but before you could even say something, the girl walked out of the room, leaving you confused.

Why did you feel like that? That feeling of wanting to go after some random girl that you really only just glanced at. That's how long the whole exchange was, merely a few seconds. But you felt different somehow. After that one glance, it was like you got a taste of something you've never known you wanted.

And now you just want all of it.

* * *

It's been a long week for you. Either people just love to test your nerves or you're just getting payback for what you did to Noah Puckerman in the playground. You keep telling people that it wasn't your fault he broke his arm. If someone is too scared to go down the slide, the right thing to do is to help them get over that fear by pushing them really hard so that the ride is faster. You were just helping him. It's what friends do.

This morning was no exception to your bad week. Your dance class is today, like it is every Saturday, but your parents are going to make you late. Or at the very earliest, _on time_. You don't want that. You want to be _early_. You just want to see that girl again.

It turns out that you don't get to see her. When you get there the previous class has long been gone. The only thing in the room now are the classmates that you're forced to spend the next hour and a half with. You slump your shoulders as you walk over to the mirror and throws your bag down next to the others. It's then that you see her blonde hair.

It's the girl. She was by the door when you walked in and you were too occupied looking at the others to know she'd been right there. It wasn't until you looked up at the mirror after putting your bag down that you saw her. A smile grows across your face as you turn around slowly. The girl is mesmerizing. She's sitting casually on top of the bench, swinging her legs back and forth while talking with who you assume to be her friend.

Then you see it. An opening. The girl's friend leaves her when her parents show up and you slowly make your way towards her. You note the bright colors of her outfit, and how your own is basically all black. You become self conscious almost immediately and stop walking.

What if she doesn't want to talk to you? What if she hates your outfit? The girl practically _radiates _brightness. You and her couldn't have been more different. The insecurities settle deep into your stomach and you turn away quickly. Telling yourself that you aren't worthy enough to talk to someone like her. The chances of her actually wanting to be friends with you are close to zero.

The class soon starts and you get into place. Warm ups should get your mind off of things. Your special place, where you're free to think and do as you please. That is until you look up and see her staring. You glance around but when you look back at her she's still staring. No expression on her face, nothing. Its as if she's judging you. Watching your every move and just... _judging_.

The insecurities kick in again and you fault in your positioning. When you get corrected, you look up to glare at the girl but she's already gone. For the rest of the lesson all you can think about are those eyes. They were saying something to you. You just didn't know what. But you'd make it your life's mission to figure it out.

* * *

By the time the next lesson comes around, you're ready. You decided that you're going to march in there and talk to the blonde haired mystery girl. Not only are you extremely confused, you're also intrigued, and maybe even a little irritated. Why had she been staring at you? Why did you feel such a pull towards her? But most importantly, you're going to ask her why she'd been on your mind 24/7 for two weeks. It was nearly impossible to not think about her. You just didn't understand it.

Walking in with your head held high, you made sure to push back the voice in the back of your mind telling you that it's a bad idea. You didn't care anymore that you weren't good enough. You just wanted to talk to the girl.

But something else happens instead.

The moment you walk into the room, it becomes silent. The previous class is still warming down but a few of them are staring at you now. A small group of the girls are clustered together and whispering things at each other, every now and then glancing up at you. The room becomes too big all of a sudden and the voice in the back of your head makes it's way to the front. Screaming at you and telling you that you're being laughed at, being judged.

The weirdest thing happens after that. The blonde haired girl walks up to the group and begins to talk to them. You can't hear anything but it looks like an argument. The girl points at you and then goes back to talk to the others. You take a stuttered step backwards as the feeling of being lost hits you. You shouldn't have come.

Just as you're about to turn around and make a run for it, you see one of the girls take a step towards the blonde and you stop. You know all too well what is about to happen to your mystery girl. Before you can stop yourself, you're flying across the room.

You're about two seconds too late. The blonde haired girl is already on the floor by the time you have the other girl pushed against the mirror. It's a first for you. You've never reacted with physicality. You push yourself off the wall and huff as the group of girls run out of the room. It's then that you realize that the blonde is still on the ground.

Turning around slowly, you watch as the girl examine her elbow. It looks like a small bruise but you can see the tears that are threatening to fall. Leaning against the mirror, you wait for the girl to look up at you. When she does, you frown softly.

"Are you okay?" You ask her and the girl looks down. Then she leans back until she's laying flat against the dance floor and you scrunch your face up in confusion. After a few seconds, you shrug and lay down next to her in the same fashion.

"They were teasing you." The girl mumbles and you turn your head to look at her. "They called you a brat, because your family owns this place. They said that you'll never get better at ballet and you'll never make it to our class."

You stay quiet.

"So I told them to shove it. That you're really good, and that you're probably already better then them at most things." She pauses and lifts her arm to look at her elbow again, "And then she shoved _me_."

You sit up and shake your head. You're even more confused now. You don't even understand what just happened. Why had she protected you? What was the point? To what end? Then it hits you. It doesn't even matter.

"Do you want to be friends?" You finally speak up and look away.

"Sure." The blonde smiles at you but you don't see it. You also doesn't see her looking at you through the mirror. You don't know it, but she can see the slight smile on your lips. The smile you're trying to hide.

You've finally figured it out. The feeling that's been haunting you. It's not haunting at all. You finally understand.

* * *

That was the last time you saw her. You heard from a few others that she'd been moved up a class and now she was in a different time slot. For the next few years, you work hard to get better at dancing. It isn't until you're around the age of 10 that you find out what happened to your mystery girl.

The blonde no longer takes lessons. She hasn't been taking lessons for about two years now. Suddenly, your special place, as free as it was, turned empty. You didn't even have a name to remember her by.

_You'll find her again,_ you promise to yourself.

* * *

**AN: I don't know what happened. I wasn't planning on making this sad. I'm sorry. Blame mother nature. My headcanon is that neither Santana nor Brittany remember/figure out that this was them throughout the course of AIA. Sad, I know. I don't know why.  
**


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